Star Trek - War Drums Part 19

"This?" asked Ro, reaching under some leaves and drawing out the high-tech whip.

"Precisely," replied the android, taking the weapon from her. "It is a fascinating device, but I am unfamiliar with its operation."

"Perhaps," Gregg Calvert suggested, "we could try it out on Doctor Drayton."

Even bound and gagged, the doctor squirmed fiercely.

Suddenly a beep sounded in Data's pocket. He made a quizzical expression and reached in to remove the hand-held communicator given to him by President Oscaras. He opened it and answered, "Data here."

"This is President Oscaras," bellowed an arrogant voice. "We are completely in charge of the planet, and we ask you to turn yourself in. Also, do you know the whereabouts of Ensign Ro, Gregg and Myra Calvert, and Doctor Drayton?"

"Yes," answered Data honestly. But that was all the information he furnished.

"We won't harm you," said Oscaras, "if you turn yourselves in."

The android replied, "That promise does not correspond with the events I just witnessed. What was the purpose of attacking our party and the Klingons?"

"That's simple," answered Oscaras. "To put the Klingons on trial."

"For what crime?"

"Murder."

Data asked, "If you found them guilty of murder, what would be their punishment?"

"We expect to hang them."

"Are you aware," the android replied, "that capital punishment is forbidden in the Federation, according to the second directive?"

"Yes," answered Oscaras, "and we expect to withdraw from the Federation now that we have stabilized Selva."

"I see," said Data. "If you are going to withdraw from the Federation, then you have no reason to detain Counselor Troi and Lieutenant Worf. I request that you release them immediately."

"As soon as the trial is over," Oscaras agreed. "We'll release you, too."

"I am not in custody," answered Data, "and I do not intend to be."

"Can I talk to him?" asked Gregg Calvert.

Data nodded and handed the communicator to the former security chief of New Reykjavik. He took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. "This is Calvert," he said.

"Gregg!" thundered Oscaras. "Come back to us. Our dream has been fulfilled-we finally captured the savages! You should be here with us, not against us."

"Oscaras," muttered the blond man, "I used to respect you, but now I realize you're an idiot. I'm begging you-let them all go and call back the Enterprise. If you act now, there may be time to save New Reykjavik. The way you're going, you'll just destroy it."

"You can't defy me!" bellowed the president. "I'm completely in charge of Selva. Turn yourself in, and we can make this planet the paradise we set out to make it."

"By hanging a bunch of children and defying the Federation?" Gregg shook his head. "That's no way to found a civilization. When the Enterprise doesn't hear from its away team they'll come back, and Data still has his communicator. You can't keep this a secret."

Ensign Ro could almost envision the apoplectic expression on Raul Oscaras's face as he shouted, "If you don't stand with us, you stand against us! I'll come out there myself and get you!"

"Yeah, come and get us, you fat windbag. You couldn't find your nose with your finger!" He snapped the communicator shut.

Myra chuckled, but Data asked, "Was that wise, antagonizing him?"

"Yes, it was, if you want to free your friends. If we can get him to lead a large party out to find us, we can go back in there and free your people and the Klingons."

"How will we do that?" asked Data.

"The same way we escaped," answered Calvert. He took a couple steps and threw open the trapdoor that led to Drayton's tunnel. "We have a private entrance."

Worf awoke in an angry mood, made angrier by the fact that his hands were tied behind his back and his ankles were bound by tough polymer cord. He struggled for almost a minute before he realized it was futile; only then did he take time to study his surroundings. He was lying on the floor in somebody's private quarters, and Counselor Troi was lying on the bed, bound in a similar fashion. She appeared to be still unconscious.

"Counselor!" he called. "Counselor Troi!" he barked hoa.r.s.ely.

She moaned, then began to stir. Gradually she came to, only to make her own disheartening discovery of their predicament. She rolled over to face him, her black hair matted against a grimy cheek.

"Worf," she groaned. "We made a terrible mistake. We led them into an ambush."

"They call us savages," he spat. "The settlers never intended to make peace-only to betray us."

"Have you talked to any of them?" she asked. "Where are we?"

"Somebody's quarters. I haven't seen anybody but you. They took our comm badges, and I don't know where Turrok and the others are. For all I know, they may be dead."

"We have to talk to them," Deanna insisted. "We have to make them see reason."

"Reason," he scoffed. "Revenge is all they want." With all the volume he could muster, Worf yelled, "Release us! Release us now! I demand it!"

The door opened, and President Oscaras entered, accompanied by a man who kept a phaser rifle trained on them. Worf did nothing to hide his hateful glare.

"I hear you, Mister Worf," said Oscaras, "there's no reason to shout. I apologize for the precautions we have to take, but this is a moment we've been planning for ten months. We don't want anything to go wrong."

"I'm the one tied up," seethed the Klingon, "but you're the one who's in trouble. Release us now. I demand it!"

Oscaras scowled. "You're in no position to demand anything, do you understand me?" He turned to Deanna and said with more sympathy, "I do apologize for this treatment, Counselor Troi, but we allowed Ensign Ro and a traitor to be untied, and they escaped. If I have your a.s.surance you won't try to escape, I will arrange for you to be untied."

"I would keep my word," she replied, "but I don't believe a promise means anything to you."

Oscaras's lips thinned under his salt-and-pepper beard. "You've never understood the h.e.l.l we've gone through here. If I took a knife and slit Lieutenant Worf's throat, do you think I should escape punishment? If I attacked peaceful people for no reason, should I escape punishment?"

"You did attack us for no reason," barked Worf, "and you won't escape punishment!"

"Lieutenant Worf, I tire of you." Oscaras frowned. "I fear you have more in common with those murderous savages than with the people you claim to serve." He motioned to his henchman. "If he talks again, stun him."

Deanna had seen the big Klingon angry before, but never quite like this. He looked as if he could bite through the cords that tied his legs and wrists, if only he could only get his teeth on them.

"You have us at your mercy," she said calmly, "and there's no reason to torment us. What are your intentions?"

"There will be a trial," answered the president. "A murder trial. We wish to hold it as quickly as possible and to resolve everything before the Enterprise returns. But first we have to find Ensign Ro, Commander Data, and one or two traitors who escaped. I'm afraid you will both have to remain bound until we return."

"You're going to kill them, aren't you?" asked Worf.

The guard aimed his phaser rifle at Worf, but Oscaras lowered the barrel with his hand. "That's all right, Edward, I'll answer his question. Yes, Mister Worf, we intend to hang them. It's more humane than what they've done to so many of our people."

"Two wrongs don't make a right," protested Deanna. "They were turning themselves in to make peace!"

"That will be the end result," said Oscaras. "Come, Edward, let's find the rest of them."

The two men left the quarters, and Deanna heard the door being locked behind them.

"Do'Ha?' " cursed Worf, struggling in vain against his bindings. "If they kill them, do you know what that means?"

"What?" asked the Betazoid, unable to hide the fear in her voice.

"It means they'll have to kill us, too. There's only one way they can get away with this-by making sure we're not around to tell Captain Picard what happened."

Deanna Troi joined Lieutenant Worf in a desperate effort to lossen the ropes that bound her arms and legs.

Data crouched behind a fallen log, watching the main gate of the compound from a safe distance. With his acute hearing he heard the voices and footsteps even before the fortified door opened and at least fifty armed colonists filed out. Raul Oscaras took the lead, dividing his force into smaller groups and pointing them in various directions. That was as much as the android needed to see, and he ran swiftly through the trees toward the tunnel entrance.

Only Ensign Ro remained above ground, waiting for him. "Have they come out?" she asked.

"Yes," replied the android. "We must be quick and efficient."

Ro lowered herself into the hole first, and Data followed, pulling the camouflaged flap over his head. The halogen lantern illuminated the musty darkness of the tunnel and revealed Gregg Calvert, impatiently gripping one of the phaser rifles stolen by Data during his escape. Louise Drayton remained bound and gagged, leaning against a muddy wall. Myra Calvert stood a few meters away from her, nearly obscured by the darkness. The girl nervously gripped a hand phaser.

"They have left the compound," Data told Gregg. "There are approximately fifty of them."

"Good," said the man. He turned to his young daughter. "Myra, I've shown you how to use the phaser. Don't hesitate to stun Doctor Drayton if she tries to escape or does anything to alert Oscaras. And stay down here, out of sight."

"Yes, Daddy." She nodded grimly.

"We must go now," said Data. "I will lead, because my vision allows me to see in the darkness."

Ensign Ro grabbed the second phaser rifle and followed the android. Several hours of inactivity had done a great deal to relieve the pain and swelling in her ankle, and she walked with barely a limp. Gregg followed her, gripping his phaser rifle. The tunnel grew darker as they walked, because they had left the lantern behind with Myra and her prisoner. Their voices echoed in the dank chamber.

"Let's go over our plan," said Ro. "I'll attack the guard tower by the front gate and keep it closed, in case Oscaras and his people come back early."

"Right," answered Gregg. "Data and I will find the prisoners. We'll release them, and all of us will meet back at the tunnel."

Data added, "If possible, I would like to go to the communications room and alert the Enterprise to our situation."

"But that's secondary," said Calvert. "If I know Oscaras, that place is still well guarded."

"Agreed," answered Data. "If necessary, I believe we can elude the colonists in the forest until the Enterprise returns."

Ro sighed. "The only problem is, will the Klingons stay peaceful after what's happened to them?"

"That is unknown," answered Data.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, and Ro fingered her new comm badge. Data still had a supply of them, after equipping the Klingons. Finally the android stopped, and Ro and Gregg nearly ran up his back. "I see an opening above us," he reported. His companions saw only darkness.

"There should be a ladder there, too," answered Ro, "and there's only a piece of carpet over the opening."

"Affirmative," answered Data. He began to climb. After a few seconds welcome rays of light streaked down the opening, and Ro was relieved to be able to see again. "You may ascend," Data called down.

Ro and Gregg strapped their phaser rifles to their backs and climbed the ladder. A moment later they were standing in Louise Drayton's small apartment. Data drew his hand phaser, and the two humanoids leveled their rifles.

"Phasers on stun," ordered Data. His companions checked their weapons and nodded. Data put his hand on the door latch. "Ready?"

"Ready," replied his companions.

The android opened the door, and they stepped into one of the nondescript streets of New Reykjavik. A woman was walking past with two small children, and she immediately shrank back upon seeing the unfamiliar faces and the weapons. She wrapped her arms protectively around her children.

"Valerie," said Gregg, "we don't want to hurt you. Where are they keeping the prisoners?"

Ro could see the indecision on the woman's face, but she could also see the determination on Calvert's face. "All right," he said, "let's take the children hostage until they release the prisoners."

"No!" shrieked the woman.

"Then tell us!"

She pointed a quivering hand toward the second largest building in the compound. "They converted the dining hall into a holding cell. That's where the Klingons are. The crew people are in Tony and Jan's quarters."

Gregg ordered, "Get to your house and stay there." The woman didn't have to be told twice, and she quickly shepherded her children down the narrow street.

"Signal me when you're ready to leave," said Ro. "I'll meet you back here."

The Bajoran jogged in the direction of the gate and emerged in the broad courtyard with its three forlorn trees. Once again she was glad she was wearing the brown uniform of the colonists, because a number of people had congregated around the open gate and its guard tower. Fortunately, their attention was directed toward the forest. She lowered both her head and her rifle and was able to cover two dozen meters before someone spotted her. A man looked curiously at her.

"Hey," he said, "who are-"

The blue beam caught him in the midsection, and he collapsed into the dust. She took aim at the three colonists in the guard tower and stunned them all with one sweeping blast. The colonists on the ground whirled around, only to be zapped by another sweeping arc of blue light. They had barely struck the ground before Ro was climbing the ladder into the guard tower. She grabbed the lever and slammed the gate shut.

The shouts from the main gate had alerted the guards in the dining hall, and two of them ran out, only to be cut down by Data and Gregg Calvert.

"The Klingons know me," said Data. "You go release Worf and Troi."

"Right," said Gregg, dashing off in another direction.

Data strode to the door and smashed it open with one kick. He was instantly hit by a blue beam, but the stun setting had no effect upon him. Before the two guards inside realized they were dealing with an android, Data dropped them into a deep sleep with his own phaser.

Data saw that several of the larger tables had been overturned, and the young Klingons were tied to the table legs, bound hand and foot. They gaped in awe at their rescuer.

"Data!" screamed Wolm.

"Silence is advisable," said the android. "Please obey my instructions, and we will escape unharmed."